The Road Back
by Burn Our History
Summary: A follow-up fic to Redemption. Lauren and Puck are moving past the sex tape, and the pain associated with it. They grapple with difficulties of trying to put their relationship back together. Rated M for language and sexual situations in later chapters.
1. The First Steps

**The Road Back**

Chapter 1: The First Steps

There it sat, on top of a dirty gym bag in the front seat of her car.

Shiny, red, and shaped like a heart.

The note attached read, "Come to the usual place after the gym. Gotta ask you something. xoxo –P." The heart by the letter "P" looked out of place, the lines wobbling as though he'd thought twice about putting it there.

Chocolates and love notes with sloppy hearts.

Lauren snorted involuntarily. Obviously she had underestimated how corny, and desperate, Puck could be. Especially when it came to getting her back.

Even though she had officially forgiven him before the school year had ended, claiming that summer vacation would be infinitely more entertaining with him around, Puck was still just her friend. She may have been a complete sucker for all of his wooing – she had almost an entire albums worth of songs he'd written her in the last few months – and she most definitely wanted "them," again, but the scar of the tape still lingered. And not just for her.

Having Quinn Fabray broadcast what was her and Puck's one-time only sex life all over the Internet hadn't just shaken Lauren's life up. It had shattered her whole family. Her little brothers were pretty much forced out of regular school, and their sports teams, by bullying and whispers. They were spending their summer vacation on her aunt's farm in Kentucky just to put some distance between them and all of that. And her parents…well, they had weathered the storm of parental outrage, and the brief boycott of their restaurant – her dad's manicotti was impossible for anyone to resist – like champs. Getting back to a "good place" in their relationship with her was another story. There had been times when it seemed like they couldn't look at her without being at a complete loss, and days at a time could go by without them saying more than, "have a good day at school," or, "good luck at your match," to her.

Everything had gotten better with time, it just hadn't been easy.

And Lauren _had_ to think about all the hell they'd been through every time she thought about taking Puck back. She loved them all too much not to.

But she also loved Puck too much to just throw it all away.

The headrest cradled her head as she sank back heavily into her driver's seat.

_I love him._

It was overwhelming every time she felt it, yet it had only taken something small to make her realize it.

After her dad had agreed to let Puck come back around their house, or at least after he'd stopped overtly threatening Puck with "the most gruesome sort of bodily harm imaginable," Puck had wasted no time putting in the effort of getting back in good with her family. He'd started with her little brothers, since he knew how much she loved those two little monsters despite the fact that she always bitched about how crazy they made her. His weapon of choice? His guitar…because, really, what kid doesn't want to be a full blown rock star? Or at least pretend to be, anyway.

Watching him teach them both how to play wasn't that big of a deal, especially because it wasn't so much teaching as it was him letting them fake jam on his guitar. Plus, she'd seen him play the guitar a million times. Sexy as he was with his axe in hand, she had gotten kind of immune…unless he was playing directly to her, of course. But watching the way the boys' eyes practically lit up when Puck let them each have a pick from his prized collection? Lauren didn't stand a chance after that. She was a total goner.

Puck didn't know that though, and she wasn't about to let him in on the secret. Not because she wanted to dick around with his feelings or anything. As fun as it was having him under her thumb sometimes, real feelings were important and she wasn't the kind of girl who messed with someone else's. Her motives for keeping her mouth shut, and her heart locked up tight, were entirely fear based – another new emotion for her since she could count all the things that truly scared her on one hand.

Sure, Puck could talk a good game, and write her songs, and charm her little brothers…but actually telling him and showing him that she loved him required her to trust him again. The last time she'd done it, her ass had ended up on the Internet – literally and forever – because he'd lied. And as much as she'd forgiven him for that, forgiving wasn't forgetting. She wasn't about to hold it over his head, especially since she knew they couldn't work if she did. But forgetting something like that? She couldn't do it and still respect herself.

It wasn't hard to love him. It was just hard letting everything happen.

"What to do, what to do?" Lauren hummed as she eyed the heart one more time before stuffing it in her bag, and easing her car out of her driveway.

x.x.x.x

Puck looked over his shoulder, squinting to read the digital display on his dashboard.

12:12

Lauren was always out of the gym before noon. Something about not wasting an entire morning away sleeping – this was just her way of giving him shit without really meaning anything by it. But here he was, still half asleep because he'd gotten up early just to put the stuff in her car, waiting.

Waiting.

It seemed like he was always fucking waiting on this girl.

The old Puck would probably have scoffed a bit, rolled his eyes, and moved on to the next hot girl in his queue.

But Lauren Zizes? Not just another hot girl.

He'd always thought "the one" was complete bullshit. It was just something guys said to get into a girls pants. Or maybe that was just him. Either way, the idea of having one person who "completes you," or whatever Tom Cruise said in that movie, was stupid to him. Having a bunch of chicks that made him feel good? Way more fun than having one tying him down and being a total killjoy. He hadn't been screwing around the time he wrote "3some" on his paper when Bryan Ryan had asked them what their dreams were in glee club. Back then, that'd been his dream.

The thing was…he didn't really need all that when he was with Lauren. Sure, the idea of two chicks and him was still pretty hot – he couldn't help thinking it, he was a guy – but it wasn't like he was missing out on anything. If he was being honest, being with her, even if they were just friends, made him feel all those warm, tingly, girl emotions. Even if it made him a loser, feeling that way trumped any Girls Gone Wild scenario he could play out in his head, and just like before the tape, he was into the idea of having something that was more than sex with Lauren.

_Though the sex would be totally fucking amazing just like it was the first time._

He groaned. It was way too hot out to be thinking about her naked. Being sweaty and horny only equaled a good time when he could do something about it, which was totally not an option since he was sitting on the tailgate of his truck, looking out over a lake in the middle of the park that was their new "usual place."

Puck may not have been the brightest, but he knew taking Lauren to their old make-out spot when she barely let him get close enough to touch her half the time probably wasn't the best idea. So he'd decided to offer up this park as a new place, since it was usually kind of deserted, but not in a "let me feel you up in the cab of my truck" kind of way. She'd definitely been into when he took her there the first time, so it just kind of stuck.

He had just pulled his top t-shirt over his head, leaving him in only a white undershirt, when he felt her slide onto the tailgate next to him.

"So what's the deal with the cryptic candy, Puckerman? You summon me here, like I have nothing better to do."

Puck grinned, throwing the shirt back into the bed. "No one _summons_ you anywhere, so don't pretend like you didn't want to come."

"Whatever," she said, trying to hide a tiny smile. "Just get to your point. It's too hot out here for games."

This had always been their thing, the back and forth, and he loved seeing it now because it was a sign that she really had gotten back to herself.

After the tape, she had lost a little bit of her snap. He'd understood it. Hell, he'd had his confidence shaken by one bad haircut the year before. The difference between them was that he'd had to date a popular girl who didn't really like him to get it back. All Lauren had to do was decide to pick herself back up, and keep on being the badass that she was.

Watching her do it reminded him of the thing he liked most about her – her confidence – and he was glad to see it come back because he had missed it and missed her.

Puck turned to her, and pretended like he didn't notice her rolling her eyes when he scooted a little closer. "Okay. So my pool cleaning business is kind of slow right now, and since I've got nothing else going on, I thought about taking a little road trip. And I want you to come with me."

"My parents'll never go for it." It wasn't the answer Lauren wanted to give him, but the inevitable "no" from her parents had sent the words spilling out of her mouth before she had a chance to really think.

"Wait. Just here me out. See, that Blaine kid who Kurt's dating works at Six Flags, so Kurt's been bugging Carol and Burt to go up there since summer started. They finally caved so they're taking him and Finn on a little family vacation. I figured we could use them as our 'chaperones,' even though I have like no interest in going to an amusement park."

"Did they actually go for that? Kurt and Finn's parents, I mean."

"Are you kidding? Carol freakin' loves me. All I had to do was tell her that you and me were just friends, which is technically true, and that I'd be sharing a room with Kurt and Finn so there'd be no after hours action happenin'. She totally went for it." Puck threw his arm around Lauren's shoulders. "You're boy has it all under control, babe."

Lauren's eyebrow arched. "You're pretty sure of yourself, asking her before you ask my parents. Or me, for that matter."

Puck shot her a look. "So you don't wanna go?"

"First of all, I hate amusement parks. There was a bad experience with a carnival coaster when I was a kid and…well, frankly, I don't want to talk about it. And I don't really know what the point of driving up there is if I don't want to go to Six Flags."

"Actually, I thought we could hang out in Chicago for a day since it's so close. I mean, it's no New York, but I did some research, and they have this totally cool aquarium there. I know how much you dig that under the sea stuff so I figured you might want to see it."

There was no way for Lauren to hide the color that rose to her cheeks. Even though he made her sound like an 8-year old who was still into the Little Mermaid, which was completely ludicrous because she was never into that in the first place, she couldn't help but love that he'd remembered her affinity for all things aquatic. "There's still my parents. Us hanging out alone in a big city like that isn't going to be their dream come true."

"Look, if you don't want to go, just say so, and I'll drop it."

Lauren could tell he was disappointed, and that was the last thing she wanted. Especially since there was nowhere she could think of that she didn't want to go with him. "It's not that I don't want to go. But the reality is that my parents may shoot it down."

"So if we can convince them, you're in?" He almost beamed when he said it.

Lauren liked the sound of 'we.' "Take me back to your house, and get some of that iced tea your mom makes, and I'm in."

He jutted his thumb to the cab of his truck. "You're the boss."


	2. Permission

**The Road Back**

Chapter 2: Permission

Mr. Zizes was the kind of guy who hung his NRA membership certificate on the wall right next to the head of an animal he'd smoked just to make a point: he had a gun and he wasn't afraid to use it. Once, he'd told Puck that there was no such thing as outrunning a bullet.

Puck was pretty sure it'd been a warning.

Yet, here he was, sitting on the sofa in the Zizes' den, staring at a stuffed turkey – another of her dad's wildlife victims – waiting for the guy to come down and talk to him. Or snap his femur in two.

Puck hadn't been this nervous the first time he met Lauren's dad. But back then he wasn't asking old man Zizes if he could take his one and only daughter, the apple of his eye, out of town for a weekend. He hadn't pretty much ruined anyone's life by fucking her on camera and having the whole town see it either. No, the first time he had just been a reforming delinquent with a mohawk who'd tried to do and say the right things. He'd had a fighting chance, despite the typical, "treat my daughter right, or else" speeches.

This time, though, he was totally fucked.

He wasn't stupid, even if everything he'd done in the last few months made it seem like he was. Just because Lauren had let the tape, and him lying, go – he wasn't even a hundred percent sure of that sometimes – didn't mean that her parents had. Neither of them had said much to him since that all had gone down, even though he was at her house on a daily basis. Mrs. Zizes managed a "hello," and a slight smile whenever she saw, but Mr. Z? It was always the evil eye, and that vein in his forehead pulsing. Puck was sure he was always 3 seconds away of mounting his head on a wall, and burying the rest of him in the yard.

_Fuck, what was I thinking?_

Puck's throat suddenly felt dry. He'd have taken a drink of the lemonade that Lauren had set on the coffee table for him if he could get his hands would stop shaking.

Then he felt Lauren's thigh brush against his and a strange calm felt like it was seeping into him.

_She_ was the only reason he would ever put himself through something like this.

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She'd done her hair, which he knew really wasn't her thing since it just got all sweaty at the gym, and it was hanging around her face in these pretty, loose waves. And the shirt she was wearing – dark blue looked fucking sexy on her – hugged all the soft curves of her upper body.

_Okay, maybe not the only reason._

Some of his motives were completely selfish. He wanted to take her away from Lima, and all the drama, and be alone with her. He wanted to remind her how much fun they could have together, just being silly and belting out all the lame songs on whatever top forty radio station they could get in farm country, Indiana. And he wanted to catch her smiling at the aquarium when she didn't think he was looking because she'd never admit that it was as awesome as it was. More than anything, though, he just wanted to sleep next to her even though he kind of promised Carol that there wouldn't be any of that going on. He just wanted to feel like he did now, only instead of just her leg he wanted to feel all of her touching him.

"Might want to wipe that goofy grin off your face," Lauren offered, nudging him a bit with her elbow. "You look like you just woke up from a really great wet dream."

Before he had the time to say anything, Lauren's parents came into the room and the grin he'd been sporting was, like she said, officially wiped from his face. They didn't bother sitting, which was a bad sign in Puck's book, and Mr. Zizes, looking like a Viking, planted himself directly in front of Puck. It was entirely possible that he could get a shot to the side of Puck's head before Puck even knew what was going on.

"So, Lauren says that the two of you need to talk to us about something."

Even his normal voice sounded like a growl, and Puck had to steel himself against cringing at the sound. More than any other time, Puck knew he had to come off like a man, since them thinking he was a coward was somehow a million times worse than them thinking he was a scumbag.

"Yes, sir, we do."

Mr. Zizes crossed his arms across his chest. "Well, what is it?"

Puck looked over at Lauren. She nodded a little, and he didn't really understand at first, mostly because he'd never seen her act this way before. Was she…did she want him to take the lead?

_Of all the times for that inner boss of hers to take a break._

His eyes landed on her dad again. It was going to have to be like a band-aid. No beating around the bush. He just had to get it out.

"Our friends Finn and Kurt are going on a family trip soon and they have asked me to come along. I wanted to bring Lauren too. We'd be staying with them, and their parents in the hotel, but while they spent their time at Six Flags, because Kurt's boyfriend works there, I wanted to take Lauren to this aquarium in Chocago since she likes that stuff and it's close by."

Puck half-expected Mr. Zizes to turn beet red, or for his head to start spinning around like that chick in the Exorcist. But he just looked at his wife, who seemed to be reading his thoughts or something. "Why would we even consider something like this, Noah?" Mrs. Zizes said. Her voice sounded tense, kind of like his mom's did after every phone call she'd ever gotten from Principal Figgins about him.

Puck couldn't really answer that, because he knew. He knew they had every reason to want him far, far away from Lauren, and he knew they had absolutely no reason to trust him. Normally, parents hating him so much would piss him off, because there was usually no reason for it other than his reputation. The Zizes? Yeah, they had a bunch of reasons.

"You'd consider it because I want to go, and because you love me," Lauren jumped in.

"There's gotta be a better reason than that, baby girl," Mr. Zizes said, his voice low. He sounded a bit sorry, like he hated saying no to her even if he thought he was right to say it. His attention turned back to Puck.

Puck knew the ball was in his court. That he had to make a stand, while still being respectful. Otherwise, this was all going to be a lost cause. Using ever bit of his strength, Puck lifted himself to his feet, and stood face-to-face, or face-to-chest in this case, with Mr. Zizes. He wasn't aggressive – with a dude that big, he really couldn't be – but he made sure to square his stance, kind of like he did when he faced those gorilla like linebackers during football games.

"I get it. You don't trust me, and maybe you don't trust her to make good choices when she's with me since I always make dumb ones. But if you never give me the chance to prove that I'm not a complete idiot, and a bad influence, then I'm always gonna be a bad guy." He looked down, keeping his eyes locked on Lauren as he continued. "And you'll never be able to see how much I care about Lauren, which is just going to hurt her since I'm not going anywhere."

Lauren shook her head a little, which she usually did when Puck said or did something completely embarrassing. But she was smiling too, and he could have swore he saw her cheeks turning pink.

Mr. Zizes looked unmoved by the sentiment. "That's all well and good, but no matter how much you think you care about her, that doesn't mean it's a good idea for the two of you to be alone in a big city that you're totally unfamiliar with?"

"We were alone in New York," Lauren said pointedly.

"Not really helping, dear," Mrs. Zizes said.

"What if I, like, have Lauren call you guys a lot, like every hour, then have Finn's mom call you once we meet up with them? You guys will be in contact all the time."

Mr. Zizes shifted a bit, which could mean anything, or nothing. "And where will you be sleeping?"

"With Kurt and Finn. Lauren's gonna be by herself in the room on the other side of Finn's parents."

"So there's really nothing that can stop the two of you from…doing anything?"

Puck shrugged. "Not really," he said honestly. "But Lauren's made it pretty clear that's not what she wants. And I, like, respect that."

He knew it sounded like a little…much, and the way her parents were looking at him, it was pretty obvious that they didn't believe it. Whatever. It was something he said because he meant it. As much as he wanted to be in her bed, he wasn't going to be unless she said it was okay.

"I think," Mrs. Zizes said after a long silence, "that we'll need to talk about this before we give you an answer. But thank you for asking, and being honest."

After she'd left, her husband on her heels, Puck sunk back into the couch next to Lauren. "Was that better than a flat out 'no?' " he asked.

"I guess," said Lauren, absently. She was staring off at something, though Puck didn't know what.

"Something wrong?"

"Not wrong. Just…" She turned towards him, looking like a nervous little girl. He'd seen this look before. They had just started being friends again and she had asked him for advice about doing her first solo in glee club. It had been a big deal to her, so she wanted to be good, but the idea of singing in front of people made her sick to her stomach. "What you said, about me not wanting that. You were wrong."

Puck sat up a little. "What?"

"When you told my dad that you wouldn't do anything because I didn't want that. I want you to know that's not true."

"So you _do_ want me to sex you up in your hotel room?" he teased.

Lauren took slapped at him. "Knock it off. That's not what I meant."

"Then what?" He leaned close to her, and stroked her cheek.

_Damn him._ "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?" she said, quietly.

"Nah," he said. "I'll just say it for you, seeing as I have all the balls in this relationship." Not even the glare she shot him could take the smirk off his face. "I want you to be my girl again, Zizes. So will you take me back?"

The corner of her mouth snuck up on her. "You might wanna ask my parents first." She figured it was her turn to tease him a little. Her plan backfired, though, when he pressed his lips hard to hers. That was all the convincing she needed. "Fine, Puckerman. Just don't fuck it up this time."

"Not a chance."


	3. Stormy Weather

**The Road Back**

Chapter 3: Stormy Weather

The sky was sheeted in deep purple and large raindrops plunked against the roof of Lauren's car as he pulled up in front of Puck's house.

Technically, she wasn't supposed to be there when Puck's mom wasn't home – another rule put in place by her parents in the last few months that did nothing but drive her crazy – and by the looks of his empty driveway, she wasn't. Lauren reasoned that she was probably just at work and would be home soon. And even if she wasn't, Lauren didn't much care. She hated any kind of storm and being home alone during the monster that was headed their way? Yeah, not gonna to happen.

Puck's surprise at seeing her standing on his front steps was apparent when he said, "Uhm, my mom's not here."

"No kidding? And to think that her car not being in your driveway didn't tip me off?" She nudged past him and slung her bag over the back of the sofa.

"Well, she's not gonna be home until Sunday. She and my sister went to my Nana's for the weekend."

"Then I guess me staying here won't bother her."

"Staying here?" His eyebrow crooked upwards. "You're dad will flip his shit if he finds out you stayed here."

Puck couldn't believe those words had just come out of his mouth since Mr. Zizes was kind of on his shitlist.

Not surprisingly, her parents ended up saying "no" to them going to Chicago. Puck had rolled his eyes, and said something that about it being a fucking joke, but he hadn't gotten really pissed until Lauren told him what her dad's reason was.

_Because I say so. _

Puck hated when adults said shit like that because it was a total cop out and it was something you say to a fucking 9-year old. If they didn't want her to go because of him, or whatever, fine. He could handle that. But being treated like an idiot kid? Not so much.

Lauren's dad or not, if he couldn't respect Puck enough to give him a better reason than, "because I say so," Puck didn't see why he should be so quick to respect the guy's rules. Especially since he was getting pretty tired of trying to be responsible and pretty much getting shit on for it all the time.

But he had Lauren to consider. He could play hard and fast with the rules and fuck himself over, no problem, but him getting in deep with her parents again was just going to end with her in the middle of him and them, or worse: it was going to end the two of them entirely.

"Well, he's not around either, so he'll have to get over it," said Lauren, pointedly.

"What? Where is he?"

"He and mom left this morning on a spur of the minute trip to see my brothers."

"And, what, you thought a little sleepover would be fun?"

Lauren parked herself in the middle of the sofa, and began looking for an update on the weather. "Get over yourself, Puckerman. I had the TV on and that national weather service thing started beeping. There's a tornado warning out for the county tonight. You have a basement, I don't. It's all pretty simple logic."

"A lot of people have basements."

Lauren stopped on Channel 7, which was scrolling the warning across the bottom of the screen. "Look, if you don't want me to stay, I'll go," she offered, sounding less sure of herself than she had while she was sniping at him.

He knew this game. She got super bitchy when she was afraid like this because she didn't want the fear to show. Probably because the handful of things that did scare her – storms, spiders, love – were all pretty girly by her standards, and she hated anyone seeing her get tweaked about them.

"Don't be dumb. I'm not gonna send you out into a storm." He fell down on the couch and threw an arm casually around her shoulders. "But you know your parents are gonna call your house, just to make sure you're there, and freak when you don't answer."

Lauren half shrugged her shoulders, but knew that Puck was right. In fact, she could hear the phone in her kitchen ringing, and her father's string of curse words in the message he would undoubtedly leave, as they sat there, staring at the TV screen. Because, god forbid she got out of the house for 10 minutes just to be…out. She loved her dad, and had been trying really hard lately to see things his way – she _had_ done some stupid stuff and acted irresponsibly, after all – but he had gotten over the top in the week and a half since Puck had asked about Chicago.

Making her give detailed itineraries when she went out, calling and texting her nonstop when she was out. He'd actually gone as far as coming up to the Lima Bean while she was hanging out with Tina and Mercedes because she had turned the damn phone off. The only reason she hadn't exploded on him that time was because she didn't want to make a scene.

Finding out she was at Puck's right now, and probably would be staying the night there because she refused to take this storm on Dorothy style, would not sit well with him at all. But, really, what was he going to do from 4 hours away?

Before she could answer to her own question, a crack of lightening split the air and made the walls vibrate. Lauren coiled against Puck, balling the front of his shirt in her fists.

"Relax, babe." He knew it sounded pretty lame, and wasn't going to help her. But he knew he had to keep his cool right now, even if he wasn't liking how fast this storm was coming on. "I'm gonna go get the emergency kit my mom keeps in the linen closet and take it downstairs. You should call your parents before cell service gets knocked out and get down there too."

Lauren let him go easily enough, though he was pretty sure she didn't want to, and he made his way into the hall. Digging around in the linen closet was kind of a pain in the ass, because his mom put everything _but_ blankets and sheets in there. And how she'd managed to push the box with all the emergency stuff into the very back of the top shelf, he'd never know. Stuff blocking the box fell all over the floor as he pulled it out, but he didn't bother picking it up. Unless the house blew away, it'd all still be there in the morning.

He walked back through the living room. Lauren was gone, but her bag was still sitting there. Slinging it over his shoulder, he went through the kitchen and grabbed snacks and bottles of water from the fridge on his way to the basement.

Lauren came into view, sitting on the fold out sofa, as he hit bottom stairs. "You left your bag upstairs," he said, nudging it off his shoulder so she could grab it as he came up next to her.

"Thanks." Her voice was quieter than normal, which could only mean one thing.

"Your dad was pissed, wasn't he?"

"Yup."

Puck set the box down on the table in front of her. "Great. You'd think a natural disaster would soften him up a bit."

Lauren looked up at him as he rummaged through the box. "I think he was more angry at himself. That he's not here because he knows how much storms…"

"Freak you out," Puck finished as he jammed fresh batteries into one of the flashlights.

"He actually seemed…glad that I was with you."

Puck scoffed. "Yeah right. He'd rather your house get sucked up, then dropped on my ass, then for us to be together, alone, for a night."

When she didn't respond, he stopped pulling stuff out of the box, and focused on her. He was pretty familiar with the look on her face – he'd seen it a bunch of times before. She was trying not to look as sad as she was. It's how she always looked when he took something just a step too far, which he did pretty easily.

Frowning, he dropped down to his knees in front of her, place his hands on the sides of her thighs. "I was joking. I can still do that without you getting all mopey, right?" He stretched his body, leaning up to kiss her quickly on the side of her mouth. "You're probably right about the old man. He's probably happy you've got someone taking care of you. Even if it is me." Lauren's mouth opened then, but Puck cut her off. "And before you say you can take care of yourself, just…shut up, okay? I get it. You're all woman, all the time. But how 'bout this once we pretend that I can actually bring something to this relationship, and help you out."

She half-smiled, and she gave a small, "Okay," then let him kiss her again, this time in earnest.

x.x.x.x

They sat on the now pulled out sofa bed, Puck leaning against the sofa back, and Lauren's body curled against him. The electricity had been out for over an hour so candles from the emergency kit burned on the side table to Puck's right. It was still too dark down there and he getting pretty bored, which seemed kind of stupid when the radio had said the worst storm in a decade was raging outside. The silence was starting to get on his nerves too.

"So what's the deal with you and storms?" he asked, as he played with the ends of her hair.

Lauren had been resting pretty comfortably until then, which was strange because she could never relax during a storm. But once she'd kind of let him do his thing, and take care of her – an idea that she would never admit to liking, even though she did – she had felt almost good. Like she was almost capable of closing her eyes, and falling into a peaceful sleep, even with the banging of the wind and sound of thunder getting at them even in the basement.

She looked at him as she sat up, a little grumpy that he wanted to play the honesty game now. Most girls would love their boyfriends to ask them this kind of thing, even if all they were going to do was forget all the answers. Puck wasn't going to, she knew, and she really wasn't in the mood to get into something so heavy.

"Just don't like them," she said, shortly.

Puck's head rolled back, his eyes landing squarely on her. "Liar."

Lauren's teeth clenched involuntarily. He was making her want to slug him, which wasn't unusual. But this time it was more because she figured he wouldn't want to talk anymore if his nose was broken. "Maybe we should talk about the things that get _you_ all worked up."

He put his arms behind his head, a smug look on his face. "That's easy. You."

"You know what I mean," she snapped. He was getting her frustrated, and he knew it. She had to turn the tables. "Tell me something that you're afraid of, and maybe I'll tell you."

"Maybe? That sounds like a rotten deal for me."

"You're impossible," she huffed.

"Fine." Puck slid down, and turned on his side, tapping the bed across from him to urge her closer. The whole conversation had made her pull away from him, and he didn't like that at all. "If you come lay by me, I'll talk."

Curiosity got the better of Lauren, as she really didn't want to tell him about her issues, but she did want to hear his secret fear. When she scooted in, Puck put his free hand – the other was propping up his head – on her hip and pulled at her until her torso was almost touching his.

"Alright. Out with it," she ordered.

"The reason I'm here now and not with my mom and my sister at my Nana's is…if I went, I'd have to sleep in the room where my Pop died."

Lauren didn't understand what he was getting at, and it showed.

"See," Puck continued. "He was really kind of sick, and in the end he wanted to be at home. So Nana put him in their spare room because he had like a breathing thing that was loud. And he had an IV in his arm. It was really messed up. And the morning he died, I was the only one in the room with him. He just kind of dozed off, and that was it, but I'd never been around a dead person."

He hadn't taken his eyes off of her the whole time he'd been talking, and Lauren felt like she _had_ to react. "How old were you?"

"Like 12," he said. "I actually poked him to see if he'd wake up. And when he didn't, I just kind of sat there 'til my mom came back. It felt like forever. That's why I can't stay in that room. So I just don't go, and it pisses my mom off and it hurts my Nana's feelings, even though she'd never say so."

"Why don't you just tell them?"

"I don't need to give them anymore reasons to tell me how stupid I'm being." He moved his hand from her waist and brushed the back of his fingers across her cheek. "You're the only person I've ever told."

And Lauren somehow knew it wasn't just because he wanted to get her secret out of her.

Sometimes, it was easy for her to forget how lonely it could be for Puck. It wasn't like he didn't have any friends, but who was he suppose to tell something like that to? Obviously, he couldn't talk to his mom about it, or if he could he really didn't want to. Lauren understood that. She liked Mrs. Puckerman, and she knew Mrs. Puckerman liked her. The problem was Mrs. Puckerman seemed to like her more than she did Puck a lot of the time. How was he suppose to share these kinds of things with her when he could feel she liked everyone else more?

"Glad I could be the person you told," Lauren said, leaning in close to him, pressing her lips against his.

Almost immediately, Puck forgot all about the conversation they were having. His hands moved down Lauren's side as she parted her lips, catching his bottom lip playfully with her teeth. The way she sucked, and teased, when she did this was her best kissing move by far. It drove him crazy and he loved it.

He rolled on top of her, pressing his hips hard against hers in the process, causing her to gasp into his mouth from the pressure. "God, Puck."

"Like that, babe?" Grinning, because he knew she did, he trailed his mouth from hers, leaving small kisses along her cheek, then her jaw.

It wasn't until he lips were sucking gently at her throat, and she felt him push at the bottom of her shirt and run his palm over her stomach, that she blurted out a strangled, "Wait."

Puck's hands were off of her instantaneously, but his head remained cradled in the crook of her neck. "What's wrong?" He sounded raspy, and Lauren could feel his heart pounding fiercely against her chest.

"I didn't tell you my storm thing." She knew that he really didn't care about that, but she was too chicken to say she just wasn't ready for this.

He didn't say anything when he finally pulled his head up and repositioned himself so he was back laying across from her. He just he touched his forehead to hers, because he couldn't break total contact, and locked his hazel eye with her grey ones again. "Alright, 'fraidy cat, tell me."

Lauren had to bite back a smile, because this was supposed to be serious. But his voice sounded so sweet, and, for some reason, the name calling made her feel less embarrassed about the whole thing. "When I was a little kid, my parents they fought a lot. I can't really remember why. I just remember it was loud. I'm pretty sure that's why the noise of the storm bothers me. And there was this one time when they fought and my dad got so mad that he took off. Like just got in his truck and left. I'll never forget it."

She swallowed hard then. She refused to cry – it was bad enough she'd probably given him a wicked case of blue balls. "There was a storm that night and I waited, and waited, but he never came home. I thought that a tornado got him. I mean, it's not like I think that stuff anymore, but…I guess some stuff always sticks with you. So I don't like being alone during storms."

Puck didn't say anything, but hearing that story really made him want to gut sock her dad. He knew he was being crazy but as kid who was always sitting up, waiting for his own dad to come home, he couldn't help but hate any guy that did that to his kid. He wasn't about to let her know that though.

He brushed some stray hairs away from her face, and kissed her lightly. "Well, I'm not leavin' ya, so you don't have to be so tweaked about this one."

Lauren pulled closer to him, his arm wrapping around her, inviting her in, and laid quiet and still for awhile. Eventually, she whispered, "Thanks."

"For what?"

"Not being an ass about the cockblock I pulled on you."

He shrugged. "Happens. I just figure you won't be able to resist me forever."

This time, he could feel her smiling against his chest. "Dare to dream, Puckerman. Dare to dream."


	4. Father to Father

**The Road Back**

Chapter 4: Father to Father

Puck rubbed his eyes. When he looked at the clock next to his bed, he got annoyed.

He shouldn't have been able to hear someone pounding on his front door, since his room was as far away as it could be, and who the fuck pounds on someone's door like that at 8AM? It had to be someone for him since anyone who knew his mom knew that she was already at work for the day, and his sister was at some birthday sleepover with all of her friends. Puck decided that if it was Finn, who'd been hanging around a lot more since Rachel dumped him the week before, he was going to punch him square in his dick for waking him up. Not like Finn needed it anymore anyway.

He pulled on a pair of sweat pants and dragged his ass down the stairs, grumbling a bit while scratching his head. The last person he expected to see standing there was Lauren's dad, and he was even less thrilled than before when he did.

"You going to ask me in?" Mr. Zizes asked after Puck stood, saying nothing, for a full minute.

Puck leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his bare chest, a scowl on his face. "Guess it depends on why you're here? It's a lot harder for you to strangle me out here and not get caught."

He knew Mr. Zizes didn't like the attitude he was getting – his neck had that red splotchy thing going on and the vein in his forehead looked like it could blow at any second – but Puck couldn't have cared less. Any actual fear he'd had when it came to Lauren's dad had made an exit over the weekend right along with any respect he had left. All he saw now was a guy who abandoned his kid, and screwed her up to the point that she still got tweaked about…weather. Only doing it the once meant he wasn't the kind of deadbeat that Puck's dad was, but he was still a jerk for it. Especially since Puck really liked the girl in question. More than liked here, really. He actually kind of…

"I just want to talk, son. That's all."

Puck half rolled his eyes, but stepped out of the way and led Mr. Zizes into the kitchen since the living room was wrecked. His mom probably would have given him a hard slap upside his head for not offering Mr. Zizes coffee or something but he wasn't into play good little hostess. He wasn't about to put himself out like that.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Puck asked as he leaned against the countertop much like he had the door frame.

Mr. Zizes meaty hands were folded together and he was looking up from where he was sitting at the kitchen table. "This weekend, and what happened."

"You mean Lauren staying here because of the storm? What about it?" Puck said, shrugging to make his point.

"It's expressly against the rules, that's what. Lauren isn't allowed to be here when your mom isn't. And from what she told me, your mom was away for the weekend."

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know your whack rules were the same even when there are tornado warnings out all over the county."

"We have those rules for a reason!"

Puck didn't not even flinch at Mr. Zizes raised voice. "Right. Next time I'll just send her back out into a storm," he scoffed.

By the look on Mr. Zizes' face, Puck knew that he couldn't really argue the point. "What happened?" he asked, trying to level his voice.

"Power went out, and the house rattled a ton. The sirens only went off the one time, but nothing major."

Mr. Zizes forehead creased as his eyebrows raised, and his mouth curved into a frown. "That's not what I meant, and we both know it."

"You're seriously asking me if we had sex?" The words came out slow, Puck not really believe he was hearing this.

For the first time since he'd sat down, Mr. Zizes' eyes weren't locked on Puck. He was staring straight down at the table, which might have been a sign that he knew how creepy it was for him to be asking about his daughter's sex life. Or maybe he was even a little embarrassed about it because he didn't – or couldn't – answer Puck's question.

Either way, it didn't sit well with Puck.

He'd been half a breath away from laying into this guy since he got there, and nothing would've been more satisfying than telling him that his shitty parenting was the reason Lauren had landed on the Puckerman doorstep in the first place. But Puck had learned his lesson when it came to trust – if Lauren had wanted her old man to know about her fear, she'd have told _him_, and not Puck – so he was going to keep his mouth shut about it.

Mr. Zizes thinking he was just allowed to come into Puck's house, and start demanding details about what went on in Puck's bed? That was a completely different story, and so not even close to cool, or right. Puck wasn't a saint and he could only hold so much back. Mr. Zizes needed to get the fuck out of his house, and now, before he said something that he knew he'd regret later.

"Know what? I'm done talking. You can leave," Puck spat as he practically stomped his way back to the door.

"She's my daughter. The only one I will ever have. You had a daughter once, right? That baby you gave away?" Mr. Zizes voice was now so calm, so level, that it was almost scary. "You did that because you loved her, and wanted her to have the best. That's all I want for Lauren. I want my little girl to be happy. Can't you understand that?"

Puck's feet locked him in place. Even though he wanted to move, he couldn't, and he could feel every nerve in his body burn, causing him to shake a little. It felt like rage surging through him – the normal reaction he had to anyone talking about Beth – but none of the thoughts in his head were angry. Actually, Puck couldn't make sense of them. He saw Beth's sweet baby face, looking up from her crib in the nursery, but at the same time Lauren's round one looking down at him from the back row of the choir room. It was almost like the faces were one, like it was the same girl, just different eyes. Eyes that were practically hollowing him out, making him feel empty, but heavy at the same time.

Maybe Mr. Zizes was right. Maybe Puck did understand a little. Losing his baby girl, his daughter, had been like being hacked away at, bit by tiny bit, with a dull, rusty saw. And, in the beginning, he'd have done anything to have her back, even if it wasn't totally legal. He had driven his mom's car through a convenience store window, and stolen an ATM, just to get the pain he was feeling out in the open, so someone would notice.

Puck turned slowly, his eyes on the back of the large man's head, and wondered if that's how he'd felt when the tape came out. Like his daughter had been taken away from him, and he'd had no real choice in the matter. Like there was nothing he could do to get his baby back. Maybe it was worse because he'd had all that time to know his daughter, to watch her grow up and become who she was. He had all that time to be close by to take care of her and to show her he loved her. Time Puck had never had with his own daughter.

He didn't want to feel for this man. Especially not now. But…he was a father too. And he couldn't imagine having to feel what he felt about losing Beth in the beginning after 17 years of having her in his life. It had to be like struck, square in his gut, with a cattle prod.

Puck walked around the table, his entire body feeling heavy now, and sat down facing Mr. Zizes. He waited until their eyes were on each other again. "I…we didn't. She just isn't ready for it right now."

It didn't meant they wouldn't, it just meant they hadn't. It was just enough of the truth to avoid the whole "bonding over fatherhood" thing – which Puck really didn't want to do – and to keep Mr. Zizes from thinking he was a complete creep.

Mr. Zizes' fingers slid through his thinning hair aimlessly, like he hadn't even heard the last part. Or maybe he did, and he was just pretending not to so he didn't have to keep on hating Puck. "I'll never understand you kids. Or the choices you make."

Puck was confused, and he really made no effort to hide it.

"It's like you," Mr. Zizes continued. "I don't know why she chose you. There were other boys, easier to deal with. But she can't help keep herself straight when it comes to you."

Puck wasn't about to say so, but he really didn't know why either. He knew why most girls did. He was hot, and kind of charming when he wanted something. And what girl didn't love a badboy? But most girls were kind of easy that way. All it usually took was a few compliments he didn't mean, or a smile. Those girls weren't Lauren, though. He could never get her completely figured out, even though she never really changed.

"Maybe it's some kind of girl thing, where she can tell how I feel about her. Like that I love her, and stuff. And that I can take care of her when she needs me too, even if that's like almost never."

Mr. Zizes cast Puck a sideways glance. "Love's a pretty strong word, kid."

"Not just a word," Puck said, trying to sound casual about it even though it took every bit of balls he had to even say it out loud. "It's how I feel."

"Have you told her that?"

Puck swallowed the hard lump in his throat. Telling her dad before he told her probably wasn't a brilliant move. But, like he'd said, maybe she could already tell. It wasn't like Puck made a huge secret of how amazing he thought she was. He also hadn't been throwing the word "love" around either, especially since he'd just kind of realized that he felt that way himself.

"I'll get to it," he said, like it was a promise to them both.

"Good," Mr. Zizes said, standing up and regaining some of his burly, bear-like demeanor of old. "Because that's my daughter, and she deserves better than someone who is willy-nilly about his feelings. So get your act together, and do the right thing."

Puck shook his head. "So does this mean we're allowed to hang without all the crazy rules?"

"Don't push it, Puckerman," Mr. Zizes said as he ushered himself back to the door.

Puck held onto the chuckled until the door closed.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> Sorry if this chapter has a bunch of mistakes/lacks continuity/makes no sense. I didn't proof it because, after almost two weeks, I got tired of looking at it. Also, if anyone who reads this betas, and wouldn't mind doing it for this or any Luck fics I write in the future, let me know. I want a beta, but I don't feel like sifting through beta section for Glee on this site. **  
><strong>


	5. Doctor Knows Best

**The Road Back**

Chapter 5: Dr. Knows Best

Lauren looked around, first anxious, then a little annoyed with herself for being anxious. She had driven over an hour to come here, which was stupid considering there were half a dozen doctors she could have gone to. But she hadn't known any of those doctors the way she did Dr. Marcia Coalts.

When Lauren convinced her mom it was time to get on birth control – it was a hard sell because she was barely 15 at the time, but she'd found a non-descriptive way of telling her that it was _definitely_ necessary – Dr. Coalts had been operating out of Lima, and was kind of popular with the teenage girl set. In fact, Lauren had come by her name from the girlfriend of one of the boy's on the wrestling team who said she was 'wicked cool,' and 'not like a doctor at all,' which got her major points in Lauren's book.

Lauren had never been a fan of doctors, as they were always fast to focus in on her size instead of trying to take care of stuff that was _actually_ wrong with her. More than once, she had gone into a doctor's office with the flu, or bronchitis, only to be told that she needed to go on a diet – because, clearly, Doritos were causing the inflammation in her lungs. One neurologist she had seen for migraine attacks had made a point of telling her that he was putting her on a pill that would not only help with the headaches, but also help her lose weight.

She was never a kid who needed help to these people. She was just a fat kid. And dealing with a doctor who was probably going to give her a hard time about going on the pill, which she'd read could make her weight go up when she had researched it online, wasn't her idea of a good time.

From that first time she sat down with Dr. Coalts, though, Lauren felt like she was actually listening to her, and working with her to find options that'd work for her, and not just trying to get her skinny. Her main concern had always been keeping Lauren from getting knocked, which just so happened to be Lauren's number one goal too. She was also pretty honest, never letting Lauren pull any punches with her, but still understanding, which Lauren could totally respect. She was like a mom, but with a medical degree.

That's how Lauren knew that she could be sitting in the waiting room of her office, which had moved far from Lima the year before, and not feel like a complete moron for what she was about to talk to her about.

"Lauren," came a voice. It was solid, and a little husky, but it still had the slight touches of softness in some the sounds. And it was strangely comforting for Lauren to hear it again, as she'd been kind of in knots for the last few days.

Lauren practically jumped out her chair, and followed the tall, lean brunette into her office. As soon as she sat down in the designated "patient chair," she began to tap her foot quietly, causing her whole leg to bounce. She really wished she could've stopped herself from acting like a hyperactive 9-year old who was off her meds, because it was bordering on ridiculous at this point, but the overall twitchiness she was feeling just wouldn't stop.

Dr. Coalts watched her for a moment – a moment in which Lauren tried to look at anything else – before removing her glasses and laying them casually on her desk. "Alright, kiddo, what's going on? You're practically popping around the room like a jumping bean. I know you're not here for refills or anything because I set you up the last time you were here. So what gives?"

Lauren's eyes stopped moving about, and stared at… the name plate on the doctors desk because that's all she could bring herself to look at. "I…well, see there's…my boyfriend and…" She stopped herself, because she knew she sounded like an idiot.

"First, take a deep breath." She did it herself, encouraging Lauren to follow suit. It didn't make Lauren feel any better, really, but it had brought her down enough that forming actual sentences was a possibility. "Better? Now, what is this about a boyfriend. I didn't know you were back into the "boyfriend arena," as it were."

"I actually…I got back together with Puck a few weeks ago."

Lauren bit her bottom lip, waiting for a response. What other people thought about her had never been high on her list of things to worry about. People were going to think what they did no matter what she did, so why worry about it? But Dr. C was a woman that Lauren gelled with, and liked, and she was one of those rare people who had opinions, and advice, that Lauren took to heart. Even though she knew the doc would never judge her, or anything she did, Lauren had a strange desire to please her. Or, at the very least, keeping her from thinking that she was just another dumb teenager who couldn't think for herself.

And Puck had been something they had talked about after the tape came out. Yeah, she was a gynecologist, and not a therapist, but she'd listened to Lauren, and had tried to give her perspective without having an opinion, really. Still, she had twin daughters who were a year younger than Lauren – they'd gone to school together, actually – and Lauren had a feeling that hearing about what happened, and putting her own daughter's in Lauren's position was probably something she had done once or twice. So it was entirely possible that she didn't like Puck by default.

"I see," said Dr. Coalts, who leaned back in her chair. "So things are good for you to again?"

Lauren nodded. "Yeah. I mean, they're like they've always kind of been. He's made a huge effort to get us back to good, as he should have, and I'm …ya know…"

"Impossibly smitten, but still realistic," Dr. Coalts cut in, a small smile threatening to expose her soft spot for Lauren.

Lauren held back a similar grin, but felt incredibly relieved. "He is quite dreamy, that boyfriend of mine," she joked.

"Then the question that begs to be asked is…what brings you here, my dear? If things are good, then why do you seem so out of sorts?"

There was a pause.

Lauren had come here because…this woman was really the only adult she felt comfortable talking about this with. And this was a rare instance when she felt needed an adult's help with this kind of situation. Still, it was hard to say what she wanted bluntly. She was still a teenager, and Dr. Coalts was still an adult, and talking about sex with an adult was still embarrassing, no matter who it was.

"I think…or, well, I know that Puck wants to have sex because…he's a guy, right? They want to have sex all the time. And you know me, I'm not shy when it comes to that sort of thing but…."

"But?"

Lauren caught the doctor's gaze out of the corner of her eye, and took another deep breath. "It's different now. I mean, before the tape, it was kind of a game. I teased him, he played along. It was almost kind of fun. Yeah, we liked each other, but it wasn't like…."

"Wasn't like what?" Dr. Coalts asked, encouragingly.

"It wasn't like I loved him or anything," Lauren said, her voicing fading out on the last words.

"And you do now? I mean, love him, that is."

"Yup." The 'p' made a popping sound, which seemed a little childish to Lauren, but it was easier to act that way than to practically beg the doctor to give her some much needed advise.

Dr. Coalts twisted her pen between her fingers, a thoughtful expression settling on her face as she angled her chair away from her desk slightly."Love is a good thing when it comes to sex, though. It makes it better. I know you kids seem to think we adults just say that to con you into waiting, but it's actually true."

"Right…but it makes it more scary somehow, ya know? Like a lot more is riding on it or something. And…like you really have to trust that other person to be able to do it when you love them."

The doctor's head turned a bit, her eyes back on Lauren. "And you're having trouble trusting Puck that way?"

"I guess," Lauren said, giving an unconvincing shrug. "I mean, I do trust him. And, believe me, I want to have sex with him. I just don't want to feel like I have to." The raised eyebrow from Dr. Coalts made Lauren backtrack a little. "It's not like he's pressuring me, since he's really not that kind of guy and because I'd squash his nuts if he did. In fact, he's been kind of cool about me stopping stuff lately. But…see, my parents are letting us and a couple of our friends go on this mini-road trip to our cabin in Michigan to make up for the trip to Chicago they wouldn't let us go on. And, well…it almost seems inevitable after the talk we had over the weekend."

Dr. Coalts nodded simply, not asking what they'd talked about. Lauren was glad that she didn't, because she really didn't want to explain the storm, and her issues, and all of that. It had been bad enough having to tell Puck. "Nothing is ever inevitable at your age, even if it seems that way. Expectations and actions are very different things, and you're obviously smart enough to know who knows that the former should never demand the latter." She rose from her chair, making her way around the desk, then leaning against it directly in front of Lauren, her arms behind her for support. "To me, it sounds like you're actually more nervous about this than you are unsure."

Lauren snorted, her eyes giving a simultaneous roll, and folded her arms in front of her. But she couldn't even work up a smart response because…Dr. Coalts was right. She sounded like a nervous virgin because that's what she was. Not in the most literal sense, obviously, but she'd never really done it with someone she felt this way about. More to the point, she'd never done it with Puck having felt this way about _him_.

The tall, brunette leaned forward, closing some of the small gap of space between she and Lauren. "Okay, look. Whether you are or you aren't, you don't have to say. But, for the sake of conversation, let's just say that you're an average teenage girl who has some apprehension about sex."

Lauren tilted her head up a little, listening intently even though she was unwilling to make any sort of affirmation.

"That being the case, I am going to tell you what I tell my daughters. And that's that there is no 'moment' where you are going to find absolution in your choice. Nor will there be a singular action on his part that will scream to you, 'this is it.' I really think that teen dramas have ruined your generation by filling your head with such silly ideas." Dr. Coalts shook her head. "The most important things to remember are that you have to be prepared and you have to be comfortable with the person you are with. I know firsthand that you're prepared seeing as I am the one who signs your prescriptions. And from what you've said about him today, and in the past, you seem quite comfortable with him, both emotionally and physically, despite the ordeal you two went through with the tape. I think this is just a matter of you figuring out a way to accept that you are comfortable with him, and to not be afraid of it."

Lauren bit the inside of her mouth and let out a deep breath through her nose.

Strangely, what Dr. Coalts said made sense. Actually, it kind of sounded like something Lauren had been telling herself all along, only wordier. She had just wanted someone else to say it so it didn't seem like an excuse or a justification. "Any suggestions? On the acceptance, I mean."

"Try not to think about it. Or, at the very least, not stress over it. Just go on your trip, and have fun with your friends. In my experience, I find that it's easier to find those kinds of things when you're not actively trying to."

Lauren stood up, her eyes level with Dr. Coalts' now. She was half tempted to give the woman a hug, but thought it would be crossing a line. "Thanks, doc," she said, simply. "It really helped a lot."

Dr. Coalts gave her a knowing smile, and a two finger salute. "Anytime."


	6. Into The Woods

**The Road Back**

Chapter 6: Into the Woods

Puck didn't know how he'd gotten stuck with the first leg of driving to Nowheresville, Michigan, but after 3 hours on the road he was kind of pissed off that no one else had offered to take over. Glancing in the rearview mirror only to find Finn's big, dopey head blocking his view didn't help matters either.

This trip had looked a lot better on paper. An empty cabin near a lake. No parents. All Puck and Lauren had to do was promise that they'd take a friend or two with them – because, apparently, her parents thought somehow having people around would stop them from doing whatever it was they planned on doing. Puck had kept his mouth shut when they made that demand, even though he wanted to snort and tell them he had absolutely no shame when it came to sex. He had done it on a couch with some random girl at a party while Finn was sitting in a chair next to him, watching a movie. It wasn't something he was super proud of, but the point was…he would take it how he could get it.

Besides, they weren't all going to be cramming into the small cabin that Lauren's parents had built. Puck had told Finn, who they had to invite so they could use Burt's Yukon, and Sam, because dude'd had a rough year and it didn't really cost any money to camp, that if they wanted to come, they were going to have to go all tent city. If they didn't like it, they could stay the fuck home.

When he'd seen the two of them, plus Santana and Mercedes waiting in front of Finn's house when he and Lauren pulled up in the Hummel's driveway, he kind of wished they'd decided to do just that.

"How'd you get in on this trip?" he asked Santana as he moved his and Lauren's stuff form his truck to the Yukon.

She shrugged, examining her nail beds like they were the most interesting thing ever. "I need a break from the Heights, and Finn needs a good comfort fuck."

Puck couldn't really complain about that, since mindless sex with Santana would keep Finn out of his hair for the most part. He was his best friend and all, but Finn had been super needy since his break-up with Rachel and it had started to get on Puck's last nerve. He actually had a girlfriend, and a job – kind of – so having to nurse Finn's damaged heart with marathon rounds of Call of Duty had been bad enough. Wasting a long weekend trying to make Finn feel better instead of locking himself in the cabin with Lauren was like the last thing Puck wanted to be doing.

Still, the more people on this ride, the more chances for one of them to annoy the fuck out of him – Mercedes and Santana didn't really strike him as the outdoorsy type and he had the sinking feeling that it wouldn't take a full 24 hours for them to start bitching and wanting to go home.

Puck glanced at Lauren, who was sitting in the passenger's seat to his right. He was glad that she wasn't a priss, or a diva, or whatever those girls called themselves, and could handle a few days in the woods. But he was a little uneasy about the fact that she seemed kind of stressed about the whole situation.

Lauren had seemed excited when her parents delivered the news. Whether it was because saying yes to this meant they trusted her again, or because she got to spend a 3-day weekend with him, away from them, Puck didn't know. If he was being honest, he really didn't care. He was just happy that she was happy…and because there was a good chance that he'd get to see her naked at some point during this trip.

But since the night before, when they'd been sprawled out on his sofa, watching a movie, she'd seemed kind of tense. When he'd let his arm fall from the back of the sofa to rest on her soft stomach, he could have sworn that she flinched. And this morning, when he'd come around his truck to open the door, she'd pulled back a little when he leaned in to kiss her.

It was like she didn't want him to touch her at all, and he really didn't like it because he really hadn't done anything to make her mad at him. Her being so out of it was making him a little crankier than he needed to be, and making everything that much more irritating.

"Alright, this is bullshit. We're more than half way there and none of you freeloaders are even offering to drive. I'm pulling into this rest stop and when I come out of the fucking bathroom, someone else better be sitting behind this wheel, or we're going to spend the weekend here, with a bunch of creepy truckers."

When everyone piled out of the SUV, stretching and doing whatever, Puck made a b-line for the bathroom. On his way back, he hit the vending machine. Even though he thought it was dumb to pay a buck for something that only cost half that in a store, he'd seen one of Lauren's favorites in there.

"Here," he said, offering up a smallish yellow and blue bag to her.

Her face screwed up into a questioning look. "Swedish fish?"

"Yup," Puck replied, slipping them into her pocket when she didn't take them immediately. "I figured that they'd be a peace offering for whatever I did to make you mad at me."

"What makes you think I'm mad at you?" Her questioning had turned into genuine confusion.

"I dunno. You just seem kind of standoffish. Like you don't want me anywhere near you."

Lauren shook her head, and reached for the hands that were jammed deep in his pockets. Puck let her rest them on curve her hips before she took his face in her hands. "See what happens when you think, Puckerman. You do it wrong."

Puck pulled her body flush against his and ground his hips to hers as he landed a hot kiss on her mouth. When Lauren groaned, he pulled away, exposing the smug grin on his face. "Guess I don't do everything wrong," he chided.

"Oh my god, could you to please restrain yourselves until we get there? At least then your sex noises won't be as creepy. They'll just kind of blend in with all the weird sounds of the woods," sniped Santana, as she climbed into the seat Lauren has previously occupied.

"Guess this means Finn's driving," Lauren said.

"Hope everybody brought their helmets," Puck teased as he followed Lauren into their new seats.

Hearing her laugh made him feel million times better about all of this, and he didn't let go of her hand for the rest of the drive.

x.x.x.x

Puck flopped down on the bed, and it felt like heaven. Every inch of his body ached, and most of them were a little burnt and bitten from a day of swimming in the lake, riding Lauren's brother's mini-dirty bikes that had been stashed at the cabin, and chopping wood for the fire. He'd just gotten out down with a shower – which was like a hot water bottle with a hose on it but whatever – and all he wanted was some calamine lotion and a massage form his girlfriend.

When he asked her to spread some lotion on his back, she gave a disgusted grumble. "Jees, did the mosquitoes at least give you some apple juice and a cookie when the bled you dry?"

Puck chuckled, trying to forget that he was itchy as fuck and focus on how her hands felt gliding over the knotted muscles in his back. Despite what she'd said at the rest stop, he'd been getting a lot of mixed sex signals from her. One minute, she's making him come in his pants by rubbing him through them in the backseat of the Yukon, and the next she's pushing his hands out of her PJ bottoms when all he was trying to do was return the favor. He really didn't know what was going on with her, but he wasn't going ruin what little contact he was getting at the moment stressing about it.

The lotion felt cool against his hot skin, and the pressure from her fingers caused a low grown to escape his throat. It didn't seem to stop her – probably because she didn't hear it – and as she continued moving lower down his back, he felt a twitch shoot downward from his groin.

He rolled over, as he'd been laying on his stomach, and found himself looking up at Lauren's heavy breasts. He wanted to sit up, and just bury his face in them, but considering how hot and cold she'd been, he knew that if he was going to get anywhere, he'd have to be a little more…what was that called again…oh yeah, tactful.

Puck ran his hands over her hips, and up her sides, as he lifted himself up a little. He pulled her closer to him, so he could suck gently on her bottom lip, teasing it into a kiss. His mouth moved slowly, and deliberately against hers until he had changed their position entirely, and she was pressed against the mattress, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the pillow behind her head.

When he pushed on the bottom edge of her tank top, she broke away from his kiss. "Sam and Mercedes are in the kitchen right below us," she breathed.

"Then we'll have to be super quiet…for now," he said as he moved his mouth down her throat, slipping the straps of her shirt in the same direction, and planting soft kisses just inside her right breast.

"Really, we have to stop," she insisted, pushing at his shoulder to make a point.

Puck didn't need to be told twice. No meant no, no matter how hard he was – and he was, impossibly so – or how annoying her sexual mood swings were becoming. Either she wanted him, or she didn't. He just wanted her to make up her damn mind already.

"I'm going down to the fire," he said as he sat up and grabbed for his shoes that were sitting at the foot of the bed. He hadn't meant it to sound as harsh as it did, but he was on the verge of losing his cool all together, and being around her wasn't really helping.

Lauren gave him the ugliest look he'd ever seen on her face. "So, what, if we're not fooling around, you don't want to hang out up here with me?"

"Oh give it a rest," he snapped, kicking one of his shoes across the room. "That's not what it is and you know it."

"Really? So you're _not_ being a colossal dick and throwing a tantrum because I don't want to have sex with you?"

"The only 'colossal dick' in this room is in my pants, and…shit, Lauren, is wanting to be with you wrong all of a sudden?" he bit back, not thinking before he said it.

Lauren looked like she wanted to say no – at least that's what Puck saw in her face – but she was holding back. "Go cuddle up next to Finn, then. Since he's single now, I'm sure he wouldn't mind someone copping a feel, no matter who it was. You might have to fight Santana off, but I'm sure you wouldn't mind that."

"Whatever." He was kind of regretting kicking his shoe now but he just wanted to be away from her and the bullshit she was talking. So he stalked to the door, in one of his feet bare, and pulled it hard behind him.

x.x.x.x

Laruen flopped back in the bed, and covered her face with both pillows as she let out an aggravated scream.

This was all her fault, and she knew it.

She hadn't been willing to admit to him what she had to Dr. Coalts – that she was a little nervous, and scared.

Because starting a fight, and calling him names was a much better idea, she told herself.

The pillow flew across the room, knocking things off the dresser in its wake.

As she laid there – for more than an hour by her estimation – she tried to piece together exactly what her problem was.

She'd known, coming on this trip, that she wouldn't be able to avoid it. He had only been teasing in his basement that day, but what Puck had said –she couldn't resist him forever – was true. If she had started in on him, he'd have had his pants off, and her skirt would be pushed up at her waist, in less than a minute.

What was kind of messed up was…it's what she wanted. He was what she wanted, and had for awhile. And she was past all of it. The lying, and the deceit. He wasn't going to hurt her again. She didn't know when she'd realized it, but now she couldn't figure out why it'd taken so long.

Hearing, "So and so may not be perfect, but they're perfect for me," had always made Lauren want to punch the person saying it. It was too corny, and sappy, and completely unrealistic – well, except the first bit, because no one was perfect. She wasn't. And he really wasn't. Or, well, he kind of was.

Lauren hated herself a little for thinking it but…what was perfect anyway? It was just when everything felt good, and felt right. Like jumping in puddles after it rains, or being wrapped up in a soft, fleece blanket, drinking hot cocoa when snow started to fall in winter. It was the things that made her skin prickle and her stomach feel fluttery. _That _was perfect.

And that was how Puck made her feel.

Rolling onto her side, she saw the glow from the fire through the window. The urge to charge out there and tell him he was perfect, and that she was just being dumb, even in front of everyone, pounded hard against her chest. But she stayed still, very still, until the darkness of the room made her eyelids start to droop.

x.x.x.x

Lauren felt a plop on the bed, and heard, "Here," before she rolled over, her senses dull from being half asleep.

Next to her was a paper plate, with a graham cracker confection sitting on it.

"They were making S'mores with those peanut butter cups, and I figured I'd bring you one," Puck said as he snatched up the pillow off the floor, which just so happened to be his.

Lauren was kind of at a loss, but she knew she had to say something. "You did that even though you were mad?" she asked, lamely.

"I'm still mad," was his only response as he pulled a blanket off the foot of the bed, and started rummaging around for something.

"What are you looking for?"

"My other hoodie. This one wreaks, but I can't sleep without one in Sam's tent. It's too fucking cold."

Lauren sucked in a breath, and pushed herself off the bed. She stood directly behind him, blocking his path and halting the search effort. "You're not sleeping in Sam's tent." When he turned towards her, she wasted no time. Her hands landed on either side of his face, and her mouth was hard against his before he had a chance to react – other than to drop the pillow and blanket, that is. "You're sleeping with me."

When she finally backed away, Puck's eyes were foggy, and he didn't seem entirely thrilled with the assault on his face. "Alright, seriously, you need to make up your mind. Either you're closed for business or you're not. Whatever it is, just pick a fucking side already."

Lauren ignored his tone – because she'd never get through what she needed to if she got all 'no one talks to me like that.' This was about picking her battles and, at the moment, being honest was more important than being right.

She ran her hands down the front of his shirt, resting them on his chest. "Look, as much as I hate to admit it, I was wrong earlier. And I was out of control with it. I just…I'm just…this is kind of a big deal, alright? Us doing it, I mean. Before it was because I didn't feel like I could fully let go of…what happened, and I didn't know if I could trust you because of that."

Lauren stopped to look up at him, and saw a mix of hurt, but also understanding, in his eyes. Like it sucked to hear her say she hadn't trusted him, but he got it.

"Now, though, I know I can. I even had a super girly moment where I wondered why I couldn't in the first place. And that makes this…Important. Meaningful. Maybe even a little…"

"If you say, 'special,' you're never living it down, just so you know," Puck said, even though he'd thought their first time was exactly that – special.

The corner of her mouth crooked up. Teasing was a good sign. "Whatever. Anyway. Having it mean something made it, I don't know, scary. Like we couldn't screw it up again but what if we did. Now, I just think…well, I know we can screw it up, but everything'll be alright."

Puck had a smirk on his face that made him even more irresistible than he normally was, and for once it didn't bug Lauren that he looked so pleased with himself at a time like this. "So what you're saying, Zizes, is that you kind of love me this time, and it had you acting all crazy."

"Shut up," she whispered, which was so unlike her, and Puck could feel her body tense a little against his when he'd slid one arm around her, pulling her against him.

He turned them around, and she followed his lead as he scooted back onto the bed. Laying half on top of her, he brushed the hair from her face, and his lips lingered against her forehead. " 'Cus it would be cool if you did, since _I_ kind of love _you_ this time."

Puck tried to kiss her like he had earlier – smooth and calculated – but it wasn't happening. Now, everything felt more urgent. Not because he thought he wouldn't seal the deal, or because he desperately needed to – seriously, his body couldn't handle what happened earlier again. He just wanted to feel her. All of her.

His hands ran over her body, caressing and touching every soft place as he pulled her clothes off, and let her do the same to him. Looking down at her, he had to steady his breathing. Seeing her exposed like this was almost too much for him. He moved back a little, giving himself room to work as he ran his hand up slowly from her knee.

Lauren's stomach tensed as the tips of his fingers pressed against her. He wasn't the first – or second, or third, for that matter – guy to touch her like that. It wasn't even the first time _he'd_ touched her like that. But it'd never felt that good before – nothing had really – and it stole her breath. How did he know that spot and…

"Oooh…" The sound echoed quietly against the walls of the cabin as Puck swirled his thumb around her clit, two fingers hooking inside of her.

Puck loved seeing her like this – keening his name as he worked her with his hand – because it meant that he was in control. He had full command of her body, making it do exactly what he wanted. "There, baby?" he muttered, his mouth pecking quickly at the corner of hers.

"God, yes. There."

His smug satisfaction was cut short when a harsh breath caught in his throat, sounding like a grunt, as Lauren reached between them and wrapped her hand around his length, stroking it a few times. He had to steel his hips to keep from bucking against her grasp since he hadn't waited this long just to come all over her hand.

His face was buried in her hair. "I need to be inside you, like right now."

Lauren's hips surged upwards involuntarily. "Condom," she rasped.

Puck groaned as he pulled away, hating the loss of contact with her. Luckily, his pants hadn't gotten too far away, and he quickly found his wallet and rolled on the prophylactic in question before she had a chance to miss the weight of his body pressing down on her.

Lauren's left leg snaked around his hip, her other falling against the bed as Puck guided himself slowly into her. His sweaty brow rested against hers, and his mouth fell open at the feel of every part of him touching some part of her combined with the feeling her adjusting around him. He didn't want to hurt her since it'd been awhile since she'd done this but he had to move, or he wasn't going to last.

Puck shifted his hips tentatively, causing Lauren to make an intoxicating sound that encouraged another, more powerful, thrust. Then another, and another. With each, Lauren began to meet his movements, causing him to groan loudly and curse. She slipped her arms through his, her nails digging into the skin of his shoulders.

A million things were running through his mind – how good it felt when she arched her hips against his, how gorgeous she looked as her head lolled back against the pillows, how hot the sounds she was making were – but he couldn't hold any one thought long enough to say it out loud. For the first time ever, he was feeling too overwhelmed to say anything. All he could manage was…

"Say it." His hand toyed with her breast, squeezing and pinching her nipple in rhythm with his thrusts.

Lauren didn't even have to ask what he meant. "I…god, I love you," she said, her words broken and breathy.

Even though it was what he wanted to hear, the words threw Puck off, and he was losing control much sooner than he wanted to. Fuck it, he thought. Quality over quantity, and this was pretty fucking amazing. Besides, he had a feeling there would be plenty of chances to make it better in the future.

His hand was between them now, stroking her clit gently, synching his fingers with his hips again. He was so close, and he could feel her fluttering around him.

Lauren leaned her head up, her mouth against his ear. "Make me come," she breathed, making his hips buck harder against her. "You're so good, and I want you to…" The last of her words turned into a deep, throaty moan as she came hard around him. Every wave of her orgasm drove him deeper, and Puck could barely ride her through it since seeing her come had sent him toppling over too.

Puck didn't move for a minute, enjoying the feel of her as they both came down. His head rested in the crook of her neck, and he could feel her heart hammering against both their chests. "I love you too," he finally said, kissing her deeply one last time. After he got rid of the condom, he rolled on his side, moving close and facing her. She was still a little flush, and it made her look like she was glowing.

"We're gonna have to burn these sheets," she said after awhile. "Since I never want my parents or my brothers sleeping on sheets I had sex in."

Classic Lauren. Always had to be a hardass about everything. Even this. It almost made him laugh. "Can we get a little more use out of them before you do that?" he teased, gliding his fingers down from her cheek to the top of her breast.

Lauren pushed his hand away, and shook her head slightly. "Go to sleep, Puckerman." She felt his arm slip over the sheet she was wrapped in, then around her middle. "There's always tomorrow."


	7. Good Morning

**The Road Back**

Chapter 7: Good Morning

Lauren awoke when she felt something brush against her thigh. It almost felt like a soft tickle, and she knew if she rolled over, she was a goner. "Puckerman, knock it off," she grumbled.

"No can do," he said, his mouth beginning her shoulder, then moving up, sucking on her neck and her throat, coaxing her to just give in. "You said tomorrow and it's tomorrow."

Lauren remained on her side, but opened her legs just enough so he could touch her. Even though her mouth fell open as his fingers made contact, she didn't make a sound. He may have had all the power at the moment – god help her if she didn't love it just a little – but she wasn't giving in that easy. "We need to talk." This thought almost automatically left her head as she felt his hand pull away from her.

His mouth came down on hers when she finally moved onto her back, preventing the pout she was about to make. "Later," he murmured as he kissed his way slowly down her body, worshipping every inch of her. Lauren grabbed at his hair when she felt his teeth graze the inside of her thigh, the same place his hand had been when she woke up. When her hips arched, and she let out a withering, 'please,' Puck grinned, beginning to lap gently at her.

Lauren decided that he was right, and talking was overrated, as his tongue teased her wet flesh, and she felt him slip two fingers inside her. Words were crashing around in her head, all kinds, but she couldn't get any of them to come out of her mouth. Just moans, and occasionally his name.

"I want to make you come," Puck whispered against her, flicking at her clit with his tongue, and running his fingers over her g-spot – christ, it was amazing how he could find it without even trying. "Now tell me what you want."

She wanted him inside her, that's what. And since she still couldn't get any words out, she tugged at his hair a bit, getting his eyes to lock with hers. She full on whimpered when his mouth moved away from her but she took the chance to scoot down, opening her legs wider, which made Puck grin as he reached for his bag – when had he moved that – fishing for protection.

This time, there was no slow build. He buried himself in her, his hips pressed hard against hers. She sucked in a breath as he stilled himself, looking down at her with hungry eyes, then teased her by rotating his hips a little, moving just enough to make her plead again. "Bastard," she panted as he snapped his hips. "Stop fucking teasing me."

"I love when you talk like that." Grabbing under her knee, he hitched her leg high at his waist, thrusting deeper. "Fuck, you feel so good," he grunted. Not his best line, but he really didn't give a fuck what he was saying. Just what he was doing, and what he wanted to do right now was get them both off.

He leaned in, changing the angle of his thrusts, and nibbled on her earlobe. "You're fucking gorgeous right now." He slowed his movements, pulling almost completely out of her before easing back in. But Lauren was tired of this game. With her head pushed back into the pillow, she moaned in a way that she knew was like a drug to Puck, then lifted her hips to meet his thrusts.

Her release was intense, her entire body beginning to shake at the start. Puck, feeling this, reached up for one of her hands so he could hold onto it as he rode her through. When it subsided, and her breathing evened out, Lauren felt completely overwhelmed.

"God, that was good," she heard Puck say as he slumped against her. She hadn't even noticed that he'd finished too, which might've made her feel bad if she hadn't felt so fantastic. "Like I need a cigarette good."

"We're in the woods. You'd burn the place down."

Puck ignored her comment. "You wanted to talk, and now that Puckzilla has rocked your world with the all important 'morning after' sex, we should probably get to that."

Now that they'd had sex, what was there really to talk about? Lauren hadn't thought about this but fuck if she didn't get a little anxious now that it was here. She'd been so worried about the sex part, the after never crossed her mind.

"Hey." He laid his hand on her cheek, his knuckles running lightly over it. "You shouldn't look so tweaked. Not after what we just did. What's going on in your head?"

It was like he could read her mind or something. And that made this even more annoying.

Lauren looked up at him, his head propped up on his hand as he laid next to her. "I hope you know that this isn't going to be us from now on." When his eyebrow rose in confusion, she knew what she'd wanted to say wasn't exactly what she said. "I mean, we're not one of those couples who's just gonna have sex now until you get tired of it. You're still going to have to work for it. So if you're just here to get laid, I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted."

Puck's face didn't change for a solid minute. Then, he started laughing. Leaning down, he kissed Lauren. It was sweet, and gentle, just to prove a point. "Okay, one, I don't think I could ever get tired of sex with you, since we're just that good, babe. And when have I ever not worked for it with you?" He ran his fingers over the soft curve of her stomach, dragging them upward lightly and making her shiver. "I love wooing you, remember?" His mouth came to her neck, planting light kisses there. When he felt her chest begin to rise and fall more quickly under him, he pulled away and looked around the room for his clothes. "Wait here. I'll be right back." Before he ran out of the room, he leaned over the bed, giving Lauren a quick kiss on her temple.

She didn't think him running off was exactly what she'd wanted but it certainly eased the awkward moment they were having. Or, that she was having. Puck was totally cool, totally calm. For half a second, Lauren thought maybe it just wasn't the same for him as it was for her. It wasn't as intense or didn't mean as much. But that sort of thinking made her want to punch herself in the nose. She wasn't that girl, who worried about a boy not liking her as much as she liked him. And as amazing as he thought he was – or actually was, because she did think he was pretty damn amazing – she wasn't going to let him make her feel bad about herself.

The next thing she remembered was the sound of the door creaking. Looking over her shoulder – how the hell had she ended up on her stomach – she saw him carrying a plate and two bottles of water. Lauren turned over, pulling herself up while trying to keep herself covered.

Setting the plate down, Puck tried to push her hands away from the sheet. "No need to cover those up." When she gave him a look, he backed off a little, reaching down to the plate. "So I found these blueberries yesterday while I was walking around the woods and I thought they'd be pretty good for breakfast. Since blueberries are your favorite." He held one up to her mouth. She raised an eyebrow at him but opened her mouth a little, taking the berry from him. "You like?"

Lauren nodded, keeping one arm over herself and using the other to pick up another berry. "These are really good. Who knew you had woodsmen like skills?"

Instead of cracking a joke or making some cocky comment, like she expected him to, Puck reached up to tuck some of her messy hair behind her ear. "See, even in the woods I'm still pretty good at the wooing." He sounded so sweet and Lauren wasn't sure why, but it made her blush.

Puck moved the plate out of the way and moved so he was sitting right in front of Lauren, his legs on either side of her, his hands cupping her face. "Look, this doesn't change anything. Or, well, it does. But it doesn't mean all the stuff from before goes away. Now we've got that and we have sex. If you ask me, that makes it better." He leaned forward, barely brushing his lips against hers, making the flush on her cheeks burn to crimson. "I meant what I said. I love you. And I know you meant it too. So it doesn't have to be weird, alright?"

Lauren was staring directly at him, his eyes fixed on hers. It was all kind of terrifying, but probably the best she'd ever felt. "You're kind of a sap, Puckerman." She brought a berry to his mouth this time. He took it with his teeth before catching the tip of her finger and sucking it. "But I like it."

They finished up the berries in silence, then Puck asked, "What do you want to do today? I thought maybe we could go swimming. Or, if you just want to lay on the raft, catch some rays, that's fine too. I don't care as long as I get to see your hot ass in a bathing suit."

"Typical." Lauren shook her head, rolling her eyes a little. "But I did get a new swimsuit just for this trip. Can't let that go to waste." She moved the plate off the bed, throwing the sheet off of herself and laying back. "But first, you need to get over here because I'm still hungry."

Puck licked his lips a little. "You don't have to ask me twice, babe."

With Puck's body pressed against hers, his face buried in her hair, Lauren moaned quietly, purring an "I love you," in Puck's ear.

* * *

><p><strong>Note:<strong> I wanted to make a point of saying that this is the last chapter of this fic, which I'm sure will be a little disappointing for some readers (and I don't say that because I'm that kind of narcissist, but because I've had quite a few people tell me that they really have enjoyed this fic). There will be an epilogue and don't worry, I already have another Luck fic in my brain. And believe me when I say I'll do this ship better than RIB ever could have (see, that was me being that kind of narcissist).


	8. Epilogue

**Note:** I'd liked to give a big thank you to my beta, Ashley. She's been great. :)

* * *

><p><strong>The Road Back<strong>

Epilogue

It was official. Sex with Lauren on a regular basis was awesome.

And hearing her say she loved him? Best thing ever. Even better than the sex.

Puck didn't want to be a puss about it, but he'd kind of been on Cloud 9 since the camping trip and it probably showed more than he'd have liked. Though, really, he'd pretty much embarrassed himself to the point of no return when he had sung her those songs in glee club, and written the ones that she listened to in her car all the time. How was being smitten with this girl, and letting it show, any different than that that?

He thought about it as he leaned against the door of his truck, waiting for her to come out of the house.

Again, always waiting.

He'd never been in any hurry. Not when he was trying to woo her the first time, and definitely not when he was trying to get her back. He hadn't seen her since Friday, though, because she'd gone to visit her brothers for the holiday weekend. They were doing pretty good in Kentucky and her parents had decided that they would be staying there for the next school year. That way, they could finish middle school without being bullied. It was three days though. Three long, sexless days. Well, not completely sexless – the phone sex was awesome but his phone didn't feel soft the way she did and he couldn't look into her eyes over the phone. It just wasn't as good as the real thing.

When he saw her coming down the walk, he smirked. She looked amazing in her new dress, and she knew it. God, he loved that about her. How confident she was. How she knew that she was sexy. He was totally glad to see that part of her back in full force. He jogged around the truck, opening the door for her, getting the 'nice job, Puckerman' look. Okay, so he was a little whipped. He always had been though when it came to her. For him, that was just part of loving her. If she felt like the only woman in the world when she was with him, then mission accomplished.

The drive seemed shorter than usual and it kind of bummed him out. It was the only time during the day that it was just going to be the two of them. Classes – the only had two together – and glee club, there'd be other people around. He'd gotten so use to it just being them and didn't really like it any other way. Just another reason to hate school.

As he pulled the door open for her, there were looks. He expected that. But she didn't even seem to care. She was smiling, and even laughing as she talked about whatever dumb thing her new kitten had done. So let them stare, and think what they were going to. Fuck 'em. He had what he wanted and so did she. That's what mattered.

At her locker, she stopped and leaned in to kiss him. "What's with the sourpuss?"

Sliding his arm around her waist, he grinned. "I'd rather be back at my house, naked with you. That's what."

"That'd be my first choice too. Speaking of which, I have a surprise for you. But you can't have it until after lunch."

The way her tongue slid over her bottom lip made his eyebrow kink up. "Really? What if I want it now?"

"Well, since you've been on your game lately, I'll give you a little preview." Pressing her body hard against his, she grabbed the back of his neck, her mouth hard on his. He almost groaned when she pulled away and when he tried to get his hands back on her, she slapped them away. "But you're just gonna have to wait for the rest."

What the hell, he told himself, giving a little shrug. He had her, so what was a little more waiting? "Alright, babe. I'll wait."

"Good." She shot him a sexy little look over her shoulder as she turned walked away.

All he could do was shake his head.


End file.
